The Square

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The Square

“The largest square in North Korea, the giant Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang is an expansive urban space used for massive collective exercises, including mass dances, parades, and demonstrations of loyalty to the leaders of the country whose portraits watch over the space,” says Jeff Oftedahl, a member our Your Shot community.

“Everything is highly structured in North Korea—one can only go where the guides allow. On this particular day we were visiting a monument overlooking the square, which was a sight to behold. Everything is built to be impressive and to position the leadership over the people, and the people walking under the illuminated photographs really emphasized this point. I zoomed in to fill the frame with the square, showing how tiny the people truly are in comparison.”

This photo was submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

I like to view a photo for its dynamics, creativity, etc etc... How the camera is used or operated and the quality of the photos. Its also nice to see the world through our photographers eyes and a learning curve of what other countries have to offer in the beauty of their surroundings. What goes on behind the scenes whether political or mandatory issues each have with one another, is not really the issue here but the photography involved in taking the shot. Sure a bit of info is always welcome when it comes to the " where's and what's of where a photo was taken" . Unfortunately people are generally "born into a country" - where you never had a say in the matter anyway and so learn to live with what ever situation you are "born into" and make the best or most of it.... lets keep in mind the photo which is the main issue here. Sometimes we need to look on the brighter side of life and just enjoy the "planet earth" and the beauty of its creation.

The photography is breath taking. The scale of large and small is hard to comprehend,yet it is clearly there to see. I enjoy being a free thinking individual here, with free choices to make as I please. This is not a comparison, just how it is really, in different countries j.e.s.

Not criticising you in any way for your decision to visit, but did you give any consideration to fact that your visitor dollars and the visitor dollars of others are ultimately helping the regime? I am undecided on this issue.

@James Robledo How did they mention or address any political issues with this? This isn't even a photo by a NatGeo photographer, and the text below the photo is a quote of the photographer.

By highlighting the photo, NatGeo is showing us what on part of North Korea looks like. Not many people are familiar with North Korea's landmarks, so I believe they were not stepping into the realm of politics, but simply remained in the realm of geography to give us a glimpse into this country.

@Michael Barry The year I visited, 2012, the UN allocated 12.9USD in aid to North Korea. The US has also given food aid to North Korea in the past, much of which ends up in the hands of the government. I'm not sure my tourist dollars make a difference in the success of the regime. Like Jonathan also said, I think tourism can also be a positive exchange between people. Tourists are likely the only foreigners most North Koreans ever meet, and if they can see that we're not monsters like we're portrayed, and also we can learn that they're not either, it can be beneficial.

@Michael Barry The few dollars they make is negligible. It's my opinion that having foreign presence in North Korea enlightens not only the outside world of what's going on inside; but for the insiders to see foreigners and to realize we are not the demons their state-run media portrays. Instead they see that we are good, healthy and prosperous people. Enough to be a catalyst of change.

Or could it be all your information comes from the Economist which I'm sure you know doesn't support any non capitalist country.

As for gulags which the article centers on do you think they are any worse than being incarcerated in a super max prison some where in America to feed the economically profitable private prison industrial complex ?

Quite often on spurious grounds such as race or being from the poorer classes.

Seek out and read about Monica Macias’s life growing up in North Korea,

She is an African Woman who as a child, did meet racism, but it didn't take half a millenium for the North Koreans to start treating her as a human and not continue to subject her to the hell Africans of the western hemisphere are still experiencing.